Review: Sunfire True Sub Mk. IV Subwoofer
Category: Speakers
Review of Sunfire True Subwoofer Mk. IV
The Mk IV is an upgrade to the Mk II and the middle child in Sunfire’s family of active subwoofers. The compact 11" square cube houses two 8" drivers and a 2700 watt amp. The high wattage comes from Carver’s nifty little power supply that rises to the occasion, so to speak. Hookup options, volume, crossover and phase control are all available as they should be.
Hookup is simple. Setup, however, is time-consuming and tedious, as with any subwoofer. Trial and error is the best way to go about it, but often your errors are not immediately apparent. The sub is best left to sit on its own feet. I tried spiking but this led to a strange ripple-like distortion that occurred after strong transients. I think the spikes were slightly uneven and the resulting vibration caused some sort of resonating, feedback distortion. The unit has been in my system for six months.
I have never been too keen on satellite/subwoofer systems, even though they sometimes amaze and astound. There always seems to be a disconnect between the boxes that spoils the party. I don’t know f it’s psychological or physiological, but I always say to myself "there it is!" when the low notes rumble from the big box.
It is no different with the Sunfire Mk IV. But, the relatively small drivers do a decent job of keeping up with the nimble 6" midrange/woofer cones of my Totem Sttafs. The Mk IV sufficiently fills in the bottom end from 40 Hz down to 20 Hz without over-emphasizing the bass range above 40 Hz. With the volume on the sub is properly attenuated, the low end is fleshed out properly and without a lot of boominess. Turn it up a bit and things begin to shake, rattle and fall. Impressive, yes. This thing is capable of moving some air, but fortunately can be reigned in to add just the right touch of natural low end.
Most impressive was the speed and tight control. In small rooms, I would suspect that the Sunfire Super Junior True Subwoofer would do even better. I am quite pleased with this unit and would recommend it to both movie and music lovers.
Associated gear
Totem Sttaf speakers, Roksan Caspian amp, Jolida tubed CD player.
